San Diego car chase ends in hail of bullets

Bullets were flying in a San Diego neighborhood Thursday as a high-speed chase came to a violent end.

January 10, 2014 12:00:00 AM PST

SAN DIEGO --

What began as a traffic stop escalated into a high-speed pursuit and ended in a hail of gunfire in San Diego.

It all began when an officer tried to pull over a 40-year-old man for talking on his cellphone at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday. The orange Saturn initially slowed down, but when the officer approached the vehicle, the driver stepped on the gas, and a pursuit ensued.

The chase lasted about an hour, mostly staying within the city of San Diego but spilling over into National City and Paradise Hills at times. Authorities tried using spike strips, but the suspect kept plowing over them.

During the chase, the pursing officer learned that the vehicle fit the description of a car wanted in connection to a double shooting that occurred on Jan. 6 in the Mountain View area. In that case, two victims sustained non life-threatening gunshot wounds.

At some point during the pursuit, the suspect slowed down to let a woman out of the car.

Eventually, the suspect stopped the car in the 800 block of 41st Street, where police say he raised a gun at officers. That's when police fired at the suspect, striking him four times. Authorities said four San Diego police officers discharged their weapons.

The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The suspect's weapon as well as a controlled substance was found at the scene.